INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT CORE – Project Summary The SDSU HealthLINK Center (Center) was established in 2018 to augment investigator, partner, and institutional capacity for minority health and health disparities (MHHD) research. The goal of the Investigator Development Core (IDC) is to enhance the career development of junior investigators, especially those under- represented in the sciences, to conduct innovative minority health and health disparities research at SDSU, SDSUIV, and with community partner organizations. To accomplish this goal, we propose the following four specific aims that build on our successful Pilot Project (PP) program: 1) support the career advancement of junior investigators through PP funding and training; 2) foster knowledge and skills transfer between Core Leaders and PP by supporting cross core collaboration activities; 3) support the career advancement of a broader audience of MHHD researchers through workshops; and 4) contribute to the Center’s measures of implementation, engagement, satisfaction, and impact. To accomplish Aim 1, IDC will fund 10 PPs following implementation of a Grant Writing Workshop to PP applicants designed to assist them in preparing a competitive PP application. A Research Management Training Program will be delivered to PP Leaders and is designed to foster successful project initiation and completion. Outreach and recruitment strategies will leverage institutional resources and connections to maximize the recruitment of junior (i.e., post-doctoral fellows, early-stage) investigators and those under-represented in the sciences. In this process, IDC strives to create a diverse community of basic biomedical, behavioral/population, and clinical/health services researchers working toward the common goal of optimizing health outcomes for all people. To accomplish Aim 2, IDC will work closely with AC, RCC, CEC and newly hired RC faculty member to optimize the transfer of knowledge and skills by and between Cores and Project Leaders. Our innovative career enhancement model allows junior investigators to leverage the expertise of Center investigators, research staff, and senior mentors to generate new knowledge that further enhances shared resources. To accomplish Aim 3, IDC will support the expansion and reach of career enhancement workshops for a broader audience by working with previous PP Leaders in preparing workshops and sharing research tools and resources through the Center’s Health Science Research Portal. To accomplish Aim 4, IDC Co-Leaders and Coordinators will engage in implementation and engagement tracking, and work with AC Evaluation team to obtain measures of satisfaction with IDC- sponsored activities. They will also provide feedback to AC Evaluation team on measures of Center impact, including methods for deriving evidence for impact on the investigator and impact on the field. Through these efforts, IDC will strongly enhance junior investigator’s career development at SDSU or SDSUIV...